"Lose" is not spelled "Loose"

[David Chaus]

That is among the most irritating of my many pet peeves.

What's interesting to me is when trite sayings get further removed from their phrases of origin there is genuine ambiguity about which word belongs in the expression.

For instance, I know it's "toe the line" not "tow the line" but I see the latter construction quite frequently.

Other examples I'm less sure about: beyond the pale? Or pail? Waiting with baited breath? Or bated?

And I often get hoard and horde mixed up, which surely infuriates grammar nazis one level up from me.

How many boards
would the Mongols hoard
If the Mongol hordes got bored?

 

[Tricia]

This was just posted on our neighborhood site.

Angry cat groomer needed
She goes on to explain that she needs a new groomer for her angry cat because the old groomer won't return her calls.

 

[skibob]

This was just posted on our neighborhood site.

Angry cat groomer needed
She goes on to explain that she needs a new groomer for her angry cat because the old groomer won't return her calls.

If I were grooming cats, I'd be angry . . .

 

[James]

Other examples I'm less sure about: beyond the pale? Or pail? Waiting with baited breath? Or bated?

It certainly is not "pail" having to do with carrying water. Pale is a border and also a fence or stakes. Beyond the pale is outside the border of "home". Likely you'd meet robbers etc. and meet your death. There have been some notable 'pales' in Russia, Ireland, and France that defined areas.
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"Bated" is one of the many words Shakespeare invented (or at least he was the first person to put the word on a piece of paper that survived to this day).

​

"Bated" is a form of "abate," which means “to diminish, beat down, or reduce.” So when you’re waiting with bated (read: abated) breath, you’re so eager, anxious, excited, or frightened that you’re almost holding your breath.

Shakespeare used the phrase "with bated breath" in The Merchant of Venice. It's a scene where Shylock, the moneylender, points out the irony of Antonio, the merchant, coming to him for a loan after treating him so poorly in the past:

Shall I bend low and in a bondman's key,
With bated breath and whispering humbleness, Say this;
“Fair sir, you spit on me on Wednesday last;
You spurn'd me such a day; another time
You call'd me dog; and for these courtesies
I'll lend you thus much moneys”?

That set phrase, "with bated breath," is the only place you’ll hear "bated" used these days. Since "bated" is such an archaic word, it’s common to see the phrase incorrectly written as "with baited breath."​

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http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/baited-versus-bated

The comments question the only use of bated. Used in falconry apparently.

For some reason, that post ^^ reminded me of misheard song lyrics. Wrapped up like a douche, yo.

Yeah but the way they sing it it does sound that way. Almost no one knows what a 'deuce' is these days if they could understand the word. Deuce refers to a 1932 Ford that was popular to make into a hot rod. I guess it was the first hot rod. The two door roadster was the model of choice. Two doors, two seats, 1932.

http://www.roadsters.com/deuce/

Deuce versus '55 Chevy. American Graffitti
Harrison Ford driving the Chevy.

girl: "wow he's really fast! isn't he?"
driver who got beat - "yeah...but he's stupid"

 

[skibob]

Yeah but the way they sing it it does sound that way. Almost no one knows what a 'deuce' is these days if they could understand the word. Deuce refers to a 1932 Ford that was popular to make into a hot rod. I guess it was the first hot rod. The two door roadster was the model of choice. Two doors, two seats, 1932.

Maybe its just because my dad was a car freak . . . or maybe its because I've heard:

 

[Jenny]

Baited breath would really be gross!

 

[Tricia]

@laine posted this on facebook today.
Take That, AP Style! Court of Law Rules the Oxford Comma Necessary

The $10 million comma

 

[mdf]

The Oxford comma is a chronic controversy in our house. I grew up with the Chicago Manual of Style, and then had it reinforced by Strunk and White in college. My wife went to journalism school, so the AP style guide comes naturally. If we ever edit each other's writing , the commas pop in and out repeatedly.

 

[Tom K.]

I grew up with the Chicago Manual of Style, and then had it reinforced by Strunk and White in college.

Ah, the mighty Strunk and White. I still remember my Chemical Engineering Unit Ops Lab instructor telling us that if you don't at least skim Strunk and White, you're probably shooting for a B at best on your reports.

I'm giving myself bonus points for using "you're" and "your" correctly above in that there previous sentence!

 

[James]

@laine posted this on facebook today.
Take That, AP Style! Court of Law Rules the Oxford Comma Necessary

The $10 million comma

Interesting. Never knew they were called Oxford commas. AP is just wrong. You'd think journalists would be more interested in clarity. Possibly back when type was still set with lead in newspapers, (till early 90's?), saving a comma might make sense. Though that's a stretch.
As a side note, the list of what's exempt from overtime pay by the dairy in the article I would think is simply illegal anyway. Basically, everything.

@mdf, feel free to quote me when you argue the point.

 

[mdf]

I'm not in the AP camp, but I think the theory is that a comma represents a pause, and when you say "bah hum and bug" out loud you pause after bah but not hum.

Or... the comma represents an elided "and". The last and in the series isn't elided, it's right there!

 

[oldschoolskier]

I dun good in inglich thats why I became an inginear

 

[Jilly]

And then there is the Queen's English....neighbour, colour, honour......

 

[graham418]

And then there is the Queen's English....neighbour, colour, honour......

'Proper English'

 

[Jilly]

For you and me!!

 

[oldschoolskier]

You heard the one about the American in London, that asked where the Elevator was, the Brit reply you mean the "Lift" where upon the American said we invented the Elevator (Otis) and we call it the Elevator, the Brit promptly replied, Sir but we invented the language and we call it a "Lift".

Elevator humour!

 

[peterm]

One that really bugs me when reading Reddit's /r/nba is the (frequent) confusion between resign and re-sign. An example:


Btw, the smart money seems to be on Hayward not re-signing in Utah.

 

[David Chaus]

You heard the one about a freshman on a college campus that asks an English major, "Where the library at?" The English major replies with "You should know, by the time you even get to college, that one doesn't end a sentence with a proposition." The freshman replies, "Ok, where's the library at, asshole?"

 

[James]

...one doesn't end a sentence with a proposition."

Is that a typo or part of the joke?

Gray or grey?

 

[coskigirl]

And then there is the Queen's English....neighbour, colour, honour......

'Proper English'

For you and me!!

My work computer was purchased in the US so it has a US keyboard but it had all the software installed and is maintained by our English head office so spellcheck is based on English English rather than American English. In addition our master documents are all from the UK so I'm constantly dealing with the different spellings.

Gray or grey?

Ugh. I'm currently waiting for my LSAT scores to arrive any day. They nicknamed the day Grey/Gray Day because just before they are uploaded to the website there are icons that switch from green to grey/gray so the word grey/gray is in the forefront of my mind. I vote for grey and hope Grey Day is today.